But the Christie administration warned the rate will decline once a more rigorous method of calculating the statistic takes effect

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerEducation Commissioner Christopher Cerf, left, addresses the media during a press conference with Governor Chris Christie in this March 2011 photo.

New Jersey awards diplomas to 87 percent of its high school students, making the state’s graduation rate the highest in the nation, an annual review released today shows.

Between 1998 and 2008, the state increased its pool of high school graduates by 11.1 percent, reflecting a national trend of graduation rate growth that took hold during the 2007-2008 school year, the Diplomas Count 2011 report found.

But the Christie administration quickly warned the state’s number of high school graduates will likely decline once a more rigorous, federally mandated method for calculating the statistic takes effect next fall.

"We have excellent school programs and teachers who are doing a great job in helping our students graduate," acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said in a statement. "However, it is important that we know if our students are truly college-ready by generating more comprehensive and transparent data."

The figure calculated by the report’s authors falls 6 percentage points below the 93 percent graduation rate the state Department of Education published for the 2007-2008 school year. The report’s methodology reflects the type of rigorous standards Cerf calls for, according to Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, a nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, Md.

Cerf could not be reached to discuss the apparent discrepancy.

But in his statement today, the education commissioner cited the high rate of first-time students at community colleges in Bergen, Union and Essex counties who must take remedial math and English courses as proof the state must do more to prepare its high school students for college and career.

"We are very proud of our graduation rate, but other studies show that we still have much work to do," Cerf said.

The New Jersey Education Association fired back at the Christie administration for recasting a positive report about the state’s public schools into a condemnation, calling Cerf’s response to the report a "broken record."

"The cup is always half-empty with this administration," said Steve Wollmer, a spokesman for the state’s largest teachers union. "Their agenda is to privatize education, and they never miss an opportunity to demean the achievements of our public schools, even when the criticism is unfounded."

Stan Karp, director of secondary reform at the nonprofit Newark-based Education Law Center, said New Jersey’s standing in the graduation rate report is "basically good news," despite the Christie administration’s comments. Only four other states had greater graduation rate increases than New Jersey over the 10 years of data the report’s authors studied.

"I think we have had a narrative of failure coming from the administration that these statistics contradict," Karp said.

He pointed out that New Jersey is also doing better than other states on achievement-gap issues: The state boasts the highest graduation rate among Hispanic and African-American students.

Assembly Education Committee Chairman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) reflected the teachers union’s frustration with Cerf’s response to the data and said the Christie administration must stop its campaign to convince state residents their public schools are failing.

"When I drive around the state and talk to parents and other citizens of the Garden State, they are not surprised by the success of our schools," Diegnan said. "It’s sad that the governor and our education commissioner designee do not share that same knowledge."

Staff writer Jeanette Rundquist contributed to this report.

TRENTON — State Sen. Raymond Lesniak is off to an early lead against opponent Jerome Dunn in the 20th Legislative District. With 41 percent of precincts in, Lesniak leads Dunn 62 percent to 38 percent. Assembly incumbents Joe Cryan (D-Union) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) both have roughly two-to-one leads over opponents Carlos Cedeno and Tony Monteiro. Union County Clerk...

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerState Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) exits the polling booth after voting Tuesday morning at Public School No. 23 in Elizabeth.

TRENTON — State Sen. Raymond Lesniak is off to an early lead against opponent Jerome Dunn in the 20th Legislative District.

With 41 percent of precincts in, Lesniak leads Dunn 62 percent to 38 percent. Assembly incumbents Joe Cryan (D-Union) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) both have roughly two-to-one leads over opponents Carlos Cedeno and Tony Monteiro.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi said the results probably would not be posted until 10:15pm.

In Hudson County’s 33rd Legislative District’s Democratic Assembly contest, Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla trails Hudson County Democratic Organization-backed Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson) and Sean Connors significantly, but with only 17 percent of precints reporting.

Only 1 percent of precincts are reporting in the mostly Morris County 25th Legislative District, where incumbent state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco has 269 votes to Freeholder and Wharton Mayor William Chegwidden’s 130.

It’s a relatively close race in 27th Legislative District, which includes parts of Essex and Morris Counties, establishment-backed Republican state Senate candidate William Sullivan leads tea party candidate William Eames 54 percent to 46 percent, with 53 percent of precincts reporting.

Previous coverage:

• Organization-backed Republicans sweep in 1st Legislative District

• Carl Lewis advances through uncontested primary for N.J. Senate seat

• Polls close across N.J. as primary election results are tallied

• Views of N.J. Sen. Lesniak mixed in Union County, as residents vote in primaries

• State election results:

State Senate | State Assembly

• Local and county election results:

Essex | Hunterdon | Middlesex | Morris | Somerset | Union

• Complete election coverage

1st I 20th I 25th I 27th I 33rd I 38th I 40th I

Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger Debra Green votes in the primary election at Iselin Middle School in Woodbridge.

TRENTON — Two hours after polls closed, results are coming in for the hotly-contested legislative primaries in a handful of districts.

Incumbents and favorites are holding strong in every district reported so far, including the 20th Legislative District, where Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Assemblymen Joseph Cryan and Annette Quijano (D-Union) defended their seats.

Browse by district below and keep refreshing for more results.

1st I 20th I 25th I 27th I 33rd I 38th I 40th I

More coverage:

• SENATE RESULTS

• ASSEMBLY RESULTS

• COMPLETE ELECTION COVERAGE

TRENTON — Two of Trenton's most powerful Democrats — state Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan — fought off tough primary challenges tonight as incumbents ruled in the prelude to this fall's fight for control of the state Legislature. Lesniak (D-Union), a colorful and controversial senator whose 34-year career in the Legislature makes him Trenton's second-longest serving lawmaker,...

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerState Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) votes in Elizabeth in November's election.

TRENTON — Two of Trenton's most powerful Democrats — state Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan — fought off tough primary challenges tonight as incumbents ruled in the prelude to this fall's fight for control of the state Legislature.

Lesniak (D-Union), a colorful and controversial senator whose 34-year career in the Legislature makes him Trenton's second-longest serving lawmaker, beat Jerome Dunn, an assistant school superintendent in Elizabeth, 54 percent to 46 percent in in the 20th District Democratic primary.

Cryan, the Assembly Majority leader and former Democratic chairman who is one of Gov. Chris Christie's toughest critics, held off a slate backed by the Elizabeth Board of Education.

"I never ran away from a fight in my life and I wasn't running away from this one," Lesniak said, delivering his victory speech before a restless crowd.

The primary was the most closely watched in the state, where just 16 of the 40 Legislative districts saw contested primaries. In both the Democratic and Republican contests, every incumbent won — including in the 25th District, where State Sen. Anthony R. Bucco (R-Morris) easily fended off a challenge by William Chegwidden, a Morris County freeholder and mayor of Wharton.

Tuesday's contests set the stage for November, when all 120 seats in the Senate and Assembly are up for election. Gov. Chris Christie, in his touring town hall circuit, has told crowds to turn the Democrat-controlled Legislature over to Republicans if they want to see his agenda enacted.

The Union County-based 20th district Democratic race was a hard-fought and nasty contest, with each side accusing the other of being closet Republicans. It was also the culmination of a local feud that has engulfed Union County politics for years.

Lesniak and Cryan hold sway over Union County politics. Their opponents were backed by the Elizabeth Board of Education — a rival political faction that has gained a toe-hold in the school system but has had little luck in other political contests.

Lesniak had a direct message for his opponents Tuesday night: "And let me tell you folks at the Elizabeth Board of Education, the fight has just begun."

Martin Griff/The Times of TrentonElection worker Bruce Finnie waits for voters to arrive at the Princeton Fire Department Engine Company No. 1 in Princeton Borough. The polls opened at 6 in the morning Tuesday.

Although he lost, Dunn said voters in the district were "sending us a message ...I think everyone in the state now will start to realize people are tired and they're looking for a change."

Cryan and his running mate Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union), defeated Elizabeth Councilman Carlos Cedeno and Tony Monteiro, a former councilman and former Elizabeth board member. Cyran set his sights on November in his acceptance speech.

"Tomorrow and every day forward we'll continue to send a message to Chris Christie," he said.

Republican State Committee Chairman Samuel Raia also pointed to the general election fight, saying in a statement that voters "selected the next wave of Republican reformers who will pursue the policies that will echo the reforms proposed by Governor Chris Christie."

The biggest upset of the night was in the 27th Legislative District, where tea party Republican state Senate candidate William Eames edged out establishment GOP-backed William Sullivan, an Essex Fells councilman. Eames will now face state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) in November, in a district that leans Democratic but Republicans hoped to put in play.

In the 25th District, which is made up of part of Morris County and one town in Somerset County, Bucco (R-Morris) defeated Chegwidden in a nasty race. Bucco accused Chegwidden, a schoolteacher, of triple dipping. Chegwidden hit back by charging Bucco with financial impropriety and dredging up a nearly 10-year-old sexual harassment suit against Bucco that was quietly settled years ago.

In Hudson County's 33rd Legislative District, Hudson County Democratic Organization-backed Assemblyman Ruben Ramos and Sean Connors, a Jersey City police detective, beat Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla's renegade campaign backed by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

In addition, 28 independent candidates filed to run by today's deadline — 10 for Senate and 18 for Assembly.

NEW JERSEY PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS 2011

• N.J. Senate | N.J. Assembly

• Essex County | Hudson County | Hunterdon County | Mercer County

• Middlesex County | Morris County | Somerset County | Union County

• Cumberland County | Gloucester County | Salem County

TRENTON — The state auditor has referred three contracts awarded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to the state Division of Criminal Justice for investigation. The auditor, Stephen Eells, said the contracts were awarded in a confusing fashion and that it appeared both the arts council and the secretary of state’s office were to blame. It’s...

Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerLt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (left) greets New Jersey State Council on the Arts members Germaine Trabert and Judith Leone as Executive Director Steve Runk stands alone at far right prior to the start of the meeting in July 2010.

TRENTON — The state auditor has referred three contracts awarded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to the state Division of Criminal Justice for investigation.

The auditor, Stephen Eells, said the contracts were awarded in a confusing fashion and that it appeared both the arts council and the secretary of state’s office were to blame. It’s routine, he said, to ask the attorney to review contractual matters that are not clear-cut.

Worth about $300,000, the contracts paid for work on the 9/11 memorial being built in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, and for art components of two public construction projects. Most of the projects were not completed, and much of the money has since been returned to the state.

"The audit has established there was not an acceptable process," Eells said. "An investigation will make sure who was aware of what. That’s where you look for impropriety."

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who concurrently serves as secretary of state, has told lawmakers in public hearings that the arts council’s "problematic" public art contracts would lead to a criminal investigation.

But Eells’ report contradicts Guadagno’s claim that she doesn’t have enough authority over the arts council to control its expenditures.

"I don’t absolve them from the responsibility," Eells said. "The check doesn’t go out until they sign off on it. They have a responsibility as much as the council does."

The audit report says the contracts were signed by a council employee who doesn’t have the authority to execute them, and they were not properly monitored to ensure that the services were delivered. It recommends the lines of authority be clearly defined within the Department of State and that the council better monitor its projects. The breakdown of controls found in these contacts mars what is otherwise an effective system, he said.

"As much as the lieutenant governor is arguing that they don’t have enough control, I thought it was a nice set-up," he said. "The arts council is responsible for approving all projects, and then it gets passed down to the Department of State to pay. Nobody on the arts council can pay on those projects."

Guadagno’s spokesman said the lieutenant governor had no comment.

The audit covered the entire Department of State, which includes the arts council and many other cultural endeavors. It found "internal control weaknesses" at the War Memorial, the state-run 1,800-seat theater in Trenton, and at the State Museum. Four employees of the War Memorial received 36 complimentary tickets, valued at $1,800, a violation of the state ethics code.

The War Memorial and the museum’s planetarium were not in compliance with Treasury guidelines for cash deposits. The theater’s cash receipts were held an average of nine days and recorded 19 days late. The planetarium’s cash deposits were held 26 days, on average, and recorded 31 days late.

Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) said the report cleared up the issue that arose at last month’s budget hearing.

"The system really broke down," Buono said. "It’s pretty clear the Department of State has the fiscal responsibility. They need to take responsibility and monitor the contracts and make sure everything is according to their internal controls.

For more New Jersey arts coverage, follow Peggy McGlone on Twitter at twitter.com/PeggyMcGlone

Previous coverage:

• N.J. arts council members say their staff should not be blamed for 'irregularities' in contracts

• N.J. arts council becomes the object of Lt. Gov. Guadagno's ire

• Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno spars with lawmakers over State Arts Council supervision

• Lt. Gov. Guadagno's own records contradict public criticism of N.J. arts council

• N.J. arts council director resigns after months-long standoff with Lt. Gov. Guadagno

• Lt. Gov. Guadagno blasts Council on the Arts for awarding $300K in no-bid contracts

• N.J. arts council awards $15M to arts groups, $1.2M more than last year

Unused time costs every property taxpayer an additional $250 a year, Gov. Christie's office says

amela Suchy / The Jersey JournalJersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. Jersey City incurred $19.6 million in payouts since July 2009 as 180 police officers and firefighters retired ahead of planned pension changes and payout limits

TRENTON — Raymond Carnevale, the former finance chief in Hackensack didn’t wait for Gov. Chris Christie to end payouts for unused sick time and vacation. He cashed in 402 accrued days for $267,573 and retired last May with an annual pension of $39,868.

“To say it’s getting out while the getting’s good is too harsh: it’s more like getting out while it’s safe,” Carnevale, 64, who spent 24 years on Hackensack’s payroll and 41 total in municipal government, said in an interview.

Hackensack, a city of about 43,000 people, paid $4.6 million of sick and vacation time to 36 retiring workers including Carnevale this budget year. Eight older workers not subject to a city cap on the payments received checks exceeding $200,000. The rush to retire is attributable to Christie’s proposed clampdown on workers’ benefits, City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said.

New Jersey municipalities including Hackensack and the two most populous, Newark and Jersey City, had to borrow to make the sick-leave payments after cutting jobs to balance their budgets. The higher costs are swamping local governments from New Jersey to California as states grapple with pension-funding deficits of as much as $479.5 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In the past year, New Jersey communities from Newark to Camden paid workers at least $43 million for unused sick and vacation time. Statewide, 428 municipalities face liabilities of more than $825 million for accumulated sick and vacation days, which would cost an additional $250 for every property taxpayer in the state, according to Christie’s office.

‘Only in Government’

Christie, a first-term Republican, wants to end the payouts, while Democrats, who control the Legislature, seek to cap them. The governor’s proposal would bar workers from accumulating additional sick and vacation days, and force current employees to use banked days for sick time or vacation. In December, he vetoed Democratic legislation capping the payments for all workers at $15,000.

“There’s no way to justify paying cash to people for not being sick,” Christie, 48, said at a May 18 town-hall meeting in Monroe. “Only in government would we do something like this.”

Christie calls the payments "boat checks" to explain where some of the money may be going. The $43 million in payouts included $306,000 paid to the West New York mayor’s chief of staff and $80,000 to the Somerville school superintendent, according to a list from Christie’s office. Camden, one of the nation’s poorest cities, paid out $3.5 million after eliminating 25 percent of its workforce.

Municipal Aid

Christie cut aid to municipalities and schools by $1.3 billion to help balance the current state budget. In September, he proposed rolling back a 9 percent benefits increase enacted in 2001, freezing cost-of-living raises and increasing the minimum retirement age to help reduce a $53.9 billion deficit in the state pension system.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerNewark Fire Director Fateen Ziyad. The city of Newark had to borrow more than $6 million last year to make payouts to 100 reitring firefighters.

The governor also wants workers to pay 30 percent of the cost of health-insurance premiums, up from the current 8.5 percent.

Christie and unions for government workers have clashed since he took office in January 2010. The New Jersey Education Association spent $6.6 million last year, more than any other lobbying organization, on ads criticizing Christie’s proposals.

Leaving Workforce

Public-employee retirements jumped by 60 percent in 2010 to more than 20,000 as Christie pushed his proposals. Through the beginning of June, 17,997 workers have submitted retirement papers this year, according to state records. If applications continue at the current pace, at least 23,000 police, teachers and other public workers will retire this year, a 14 percent jump from last year.

New Jersey isn’t alone in allowing towns to pay employees lump sums for unused sick and vacation days. In California, Anne Montgomery was paid $315,531 in 2009 as city manager of Mill Valley, a San Francisco suburb of 14,000 people. That included $124,000 for unused leave, according to data provided by the League of California Cities and the controller’s office.

When Ken Hampian retired as city manager of San Luis Obispo, California, in 2009, he augmented his $194,168 base salary with $52,144 by cashing out unused vacation and administrative leave, according to figures listed in a 2010 survey of city manager pay conducted by the League.

Unused Time

California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, has said he will support legislation that would forbid municipal employees from including unused vacation and sick time in their pension calculations. That practice isn’t allowed in New Jersey.

Carnevale, the Hackensack official, said the payouts were among the biggest expenses he had to cover each year when preparing budgets. While previous labor agreements in the city allowed workers to retain the payments, he said he supports either capping or getting rid of them for new hires.

Hackensack Mayor Karen Sasso, a Democrat elected to the nonpartisan office, called the increase in sick-leave payouts the “other shoe” to Christie’s efforts to cut pension costs.

“They were afraid of what they might lose,” Sasso, 60, said of the retirements. “We couldn’t budget for that kind of mass exodus.”

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, a Camden Democrat, has offered Christie a compromise that would cap sick-leave payouts at $7,500. Based on 434,017 current state and local employees, that bill would cost taxpayers $3.25 billion, said Christie, who rejected the offer.

Firefighters Retire

Newark, the state’s largest city, borrowed $7 million in December to cover the cost of retiree payments, Business Administrator Julien Neals said. The fire department, which had 100 of 700 members retire last year, accounted for more than $6 million of that total, fire director Fateen Ziyad said.

“The governor has made us out to be the new Wall Street fat cats,” Ziyad said in an interview. “The fact is that all of these things were negotiated.”

Jersey City has incurred $19.6 million in payouts since July 2009 as 180 police officers and firefighters retired ahead of planned pension changes and payout limits. Six recipients got more than $200,000 last fiscal year, including $252,000 paid to Deputy Fire Chief Robert Flora. In December, the city issued $9.3 million in one-year notes to cover part of the total and avert a 4 percent tax increase.

“They are a huge burden and may ultimately be proven unsustainable,” Mayor Jerramiah Healy said of the payments in an e-mail. “As it goes forward into the future, the burden is only going to be that much more difficult.”

TRENTON —New Jersey’s legal protections allowing journalists to keep their sources secret do not apply to those who post to online message boards, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The court, clarifying an area of law that has not kept up with advances on the internet, said bloggers must have some connection to "news media" to invoke New Jersey’s...

Courtesy of Shellee HaleShellee Hale

TRENTON —New Jersey’s legal protections allowing journalists to keep their sources secret do not apply to those who post to online message boards, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The court, clarifying an area of law that has not kept up with advances on the internet, said bloggers must have some connection to "news media" to invoke New Jersey’s shield law protecting journalists from revealing their confidential sources.

"To ensure that the privilege does not apply to every self-appointed newsperson, the legislature requires that other means of disseminating news be ‘similar’ to traditional news sources to qualify for the law’s coverage," Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote for the 5-0 court. "We do not find that online message boards are similar to the types of news entities listed in the statute ..."

The long-awaited decision, which included arguments from media groups and the state ACLU, overturned part of an appellate court ruling that would have established stricter criteria for journalists to qualify for the protection.

"This is just a beginning to this conversation," said Bruce Rosen, a Florham Park attorney representing the New Jersey Press Association. "This conversation is going to go on for years, but it’s a good place to start."

Courts have already ruled people can be sued for comments they post on message boards, but this case addressed what protections "nontraditional" media have in an era when newspapers, magazines, television and radio are no longer the only sources of news.

The ruling was made in the case of a blogger from Washington State who posted alleged defamatory statements about a Marlboro-based software company.

In comments she posted to a message board about an online security breach, Shellee Hale claimed Too Much Media LLC’s owners had threatened her sources and failed to report the breach because they profited from the stolen email addresses. TMM, which helps online adult entertainment companies track sales, sued for defamation and Hale sought protection of shield law.

A former Microsoft employee and a private investigator, Hale argued she was preparing an article for her website, Pornafia.com, about the infiltration of pornography on the internet when she posted her comments about TMM in 2008.

TMM argued Hale is not a journalist and fabricated the purpose of her website to seek the protection.

A Superior Court judge in Monmouth County ruled in 2009 that the protection did not apply to Hale. An appellate panel later that year upheld that decision but also set very specific criteria for journalists to qualify for the protection.

But the Supreme Court — to the delight of a group of media outlets invited into the arguments — shot down the appeals court’s criteria. It said the test is whether there is a connection to news media, if the purpose of the report is to gather or disseminate news and if the information was obtained during professional newsgathering activities.

In her case, Hale insisted Pornafia was a legitimate medium. But the court noted she never launched the news magazine portion of the website. The court also noted her alleged defamatory statements appeared exclusively on the message board, which the court said was one step removed from the electronic equivalent of a letter to the editor in a newspaper.

TMM attorney Joel Kreizman of Ocean Township welcomed the decision because he said the lawsuit can finally proceed.

"We’ve been stuck on this issue for over two years. This case normally would have gone to trial by now. We’re almost basically starting from scratch," he said.

Hale’s attorney, Jeffrey Pollock of Princeton, said he will ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that the decision applies retroactively to his client.

He said the decision narrows the scope of people who qualify for the protection to keep sources confidential, a sentiment echoed by the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based policy research group.

"Putting aside the wisdom of shield laws, they should not exist to protect only certain classes of Americans a court defines as ‘journalists.’ Freedom of the press is not truly free if the definition of ‘press’ is left up to the whim of a judge," said Jim Lakely, co-director of the institute’s Center on the Digital Economy.

Group wary that multiple accusations of abuse against mother of Christiana Glenn were determined to be unfounded Watch video

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerKrisla Rezireksyon Kris (Venette Ovilde), 29, left, and Myriam Janvier, 23, made their first court appearances in connection with the death of an 8-year-old Irvington girl.

TRENTON — The court-appointed monitor for New Jersey’s child welfare agency called on the Christie administration Tuesday to release more details about the agency’s involvement with the family of an 8-year-old girl who died last month of malnutrition and untreated broken leg.

The court monitor as well as the group Advocates for Children also urged the state to determine why investigators for the Division of Youth and Family Services have confirmed far fewer abuse and neglect complaints since 2005.

DYFS investigated the mother of the dead girl, Christiana Glenn, four times from 2006 to 2008 based on accusations that she beat her three children and left them unsupervised, and each time determined the allegations were unfounded.

"Four unfounded complaints are a huge red flag," said Nancy Parello, a spokeswoman for the advocates’ organization, who wrote the report released today that examined trends in DYFS investigations. "If investigations were not properly conducted, the outcome might have been different for these kids."

Judith Meltzer of the Center for Study of Social Policy, a research organizations in Washington, D.C., said she agreed with many of the report’s findings and called on the department to be more forthcoming about its involvement with the family.

"They ought to provide information about when they saw the children, who else they talked to, what services they provided, and most importantly, the condition of the children and family when they last had contact in May 2008," said Meltzer, who was appointed to monitor DYFS operations after the state settled a class-action lawsuit in 2003. "The reason confidentiality laws exist is theoretically to protect the children and family, but in these cases that result in a child’s death, I think the compelling reasons for disclosure outweigh any potential downside."

A spokeswoman for Allison Blake, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, which oversees DYFS, said she was reviewing the report and had no comment.

The department’s own data should compel DYFS to look more closely at a family with a history of unfounded complaints and track it every year, according to the report.

From 2004 to 2008, which includes the most recent data available, the number of children found to have been mistreated by parents cleared of a complaint six months earlier rose from 811 children in 2004 to 1,216 children – "an alarming 50 percent," according to the report.

What’s more, there might have been more confirmed cases of abuse had DYFS not changed how it classifies cases. The percentage of child abuse claims corraborated by DYFS investigators fell from 17 percent in 2005 to 10 percent in 2009, according to the report, since DYFS eliminated a category that had become a catch-all for investigators who suspected foul play but couldn’t prove it.

"It is possible that DYFS, community organizations and other state agencies are doing a better job preventing child abuse," the report said, " ... or it could be investigators are not uncovering enough evidence to prove abuse has occurred. The recent tragic death of 8-year-old Christiana Glenn calls attention to this issue."

New details have emerged about an unsuccessful attempt in 2009 by the girl’s godmother to get court-approved visitation rights.

Christiana, who was 6 at that time, told a court-appointed psychologist, Carla Foster, that her mother sometimes hit her with a belt and a brush, according to a court-ordered evaluation obtained by The Star-Ledger. Judge Siobhan A. Teare of the Essex County Family division later denied the godmother, Mary McCoy, visitation rights.

Foster wrote that Christiana looked her age and was a "friendly, outgoing youngster," noted that the girl’s mother would benefit from counseling, and suggested the state investigate the girl’s home-schooling situation. New Jersey law does not require parents to notify the school district when they decide to home-school their children.

According to friends, family and neighbors, Christiana and her brother Solomon, 6, and her sister Christina, 7, were taught by Emanyel Rezireksyon Kris, a 37-year-old self-proclaimed pastor who shrouds himself in white and oversees the day-to-day lives of his followers.

The children’s mother, Venette Ovilde, 29, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment charges; her roommate, Myriam Janvier, 24, pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges.

By Susan Livio and Ryan Hutchins/The Star-Ledger

Related coverage:

• Irvington girl's death calls into question how DYFS investigates abuse

• Siblings of 8-year-old Irvington girl who died say they were beaten, tied to radiator, starved

• Irvington women plead not guilty to child endangerment charges in death of 8-year-old girl

• Women charged with child endangerment in death of Irvington girl, 8, appear in court

• For 8-year-old Irvington girl who died, a short life bereft of toys, fun

• Pastor's sway over his followers stirs questions as police probe Irvington girl's death

• Reports of neglect made against mother of Irvington girl who died, but charges not substantiated

• Two Irvington women accused of not feeding children after 8-year-old is found dead

• 8-year-old girl found dead in Irvington

Agreement would require employees to pay more for benefits Watch video

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie, right, and Senate president Steve Sweeney, left, have struck a deal on changes to public employees' health benefits and pensions.

TRENTON — Public workers would pay more for their pension and health benefits under a deal struck between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney, two sources with knowledge of the plan said today.

Under the deal, most public workers would immediately pay an additional 1 percent of their salaries for their pensions, while police and firefighters would pay an additional 1.5 percent. The state would pledge to increase its pension contributions to legally required levels.

The sources declined to speak openly in advance of an announcement, which could come today.

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) is trying to sell her caucus on the plan, according to two sources with knowledge of the proceedings but not authorized to speak.

Outside the room where Assembly Democrats gathered, Assemblyman Al Coutinho (D-Essex) acknowledged that a heated debate was taking place.

“There are people with strong emotions,” he said.

Workers would pay up to 30 percent of their health care premiums after a four-year period. But unlike Gov. Chris Christie’s original proposal, the payments would be tiered based on income, so employees with lower salaries pay less.

CWA New Jersey Director Hetty Rosenstein declined to discuss the specifics of the proposal, but said she’s opposed to legislation that “undermines collective bargaining.”

“This proposal attacks collective bargaining. It’s absolutely unaffordable. And it does not one thing — there’s no indication that it does anything to address the high cost of health care.”

Several public sector labor union leaders are standing near the Assembly Democrats’ room, hoping the lower chamber will provide a bulwark against the health benefits part of the package.

Public unions want health benefits to be decided through collective bargaining, not legislation.

“We feel there is an avenue in the Assembly where we can protect our collective bargaining rights,” said Dominick Marino, president of the president of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey

The governor's office, as well as spokesmen for Sweeney and Oliver, declined to comment.

Assemblywoman Joan Quigley said there is vocal opposition to health benefits legislation inside her caucus.

“The Assembly is really just learning for the first time of the deal. There are millions of questions, and right now I don’t think there’s a consensus either way,” she said.

By Matt Friedman and Jarrett Renshaw/The Star-Ledger

Related coverage:

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• State workers demonstrate solidarity against Christie's proposed benefit, pension cuts to public employees

• N.J. Gov. Christie, public workers union fight over changes in employee health benefits

• Christie, unions spar over history of skipping collective bargaining to change health benefits

• League of Municipalities president calls on Legislature for pension, benefit reform

• Labor attorneys urge Legislature to abandon plan to increase N.J. employees' contributions to health benefits

• N.J. Senate President Sweeney says costs of benefits are breaking local government budgets

TRENTON — The state’s largest employee union blasted a deal brokered between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney that would increase employee health and pension costs. Communications Workers of America, which represents about 40,000 state employees, is currently in contract negotiations with Christie, but the two parties have made little progress in the area of health benefits....

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerSenate President Stephen Sweeney, right, and Gov. Chris Christie brokered a deal that would increase employee health and benefits costs.

TRENTON — The state’s largest employee union blasted a deal brokered between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney that would increase employee health and pension costs.

Communications Workers of America, which represents about 40,000 state employees, is currently in contract negotiations with Christie, but the two parties have made little progress in the area of health benefits.

Christie has repeatedly maintained that he wants to legislate health benefits, and he moved a step closer after reportedly reaching an agreement with Sweeney (D-Gloucester). It’s unclear whether the Assembly, led by Speaker Shelia Oliver (D-Essex), will follow.

Bob Master, CWA legislative and political director, called the deal an “outrageous attack on the collective bargaining rights of New Jersey's public workers and their standard of living.”

“Nowhere else in the country have Democrats turned their backs on working people,” Master said. “Senator Steve Sweeney and the other so-called Democrats supporting his legislation have joined a senseless right-wing attack on the middle class for the sake of political expediency."

The heads of local and state unions were briefed this morning in Trenton on the details of the deal by a Sweeney staffer.

“It was soundly rejected,” said Dominick Marino, head of the state’s International Association of Firefighters.

Under the deal, most public workers would immediately pay an additional 1 percent of their salaries for their pensions, while police and firefighters would pay an additional 1.5 percent. The state would pledge to increase its pension contributions to legally required levels.

Sweeney and Christie also agreed to establish a pension board for each fund that would help set future contribution levels, but their powers would be limited until the respective funds have at least 80 percent of the assets needed to make future obligations.

Currently, the state has about 66 percent of the assets needed to meet future obligations, ranking it among the most poorly-funded public pension plans in the nation.

Workers would pay up to 30 percent of their health care premiums after a four-year period. But unlike Gov. Chris Christie’s original proposal, the payments would be tiered based on income, so employees with lower salaries pay less.

TRENTON — Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said this afternoon she is not ready to move forward on a plan to reform pension and health benefits for public workers. "I continue to believe that we need health benefits reform to protect taxpayers, but I have maintained all along that there needed to be significant support in my caucus to move...

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie, right, and Senate president Steve Sweeney, have struck a deal on changes to public employees' health benefits and pensions. The assembly democrats had a caucus meeting today in which they discussed the plan but did not vote on whether to support it.

TRENTON — Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said this afternoon she is not ready to move forward on a plan to reform pension and health benefits for public workers.

"I continue to believe that we need health benefits reform to protect taxpayers, but I have maintained all along that there needed to be significant support in my caucus to move forward," Oliver said in a prepared statement.“ We are not there yet."

The statement comes after a contentious meeting in which many Assembly Democrats said they sided with the public unions' position that health benefits should be decided through collective bargaining rather than legislation.

“My caucus must have the chance to have their concerns considered. The voters who elected them deserve no less," Oliver said.

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) said no decisions were made at the meeting.

“From the comments that were made, Democrats in the caucus support collective bargaining,” she said.

Stender said not all 47 members were present for the caucus and there were no votes taken.

“There was no call for a show of hands on anything today,” she said. “It was really just discussion only.”

Assemblyman Charles Mainor (D-Hudson), a Jersey City police detective, said members wanted to hear more details about how the plan would work.

“It’s nothing written in stone yet. Based on the information I’ve got right now, it’s still up in the air,” he said. “I’d say most are confused.”

Related coverage:

• Deal to change N.J. public workers' pensions, benefits is struck by Christie, Sweeney

• Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver stalls legislation dealing with changes in pensions, benefits

• State workers demonstrate solidarity against Christie's proposed benefit, pension cuts to public employees

• N.J. Gov. Christie, public workers union fight over changes in employee health benefits

• Christie, unions spar over history of skipping collective bargaining to change health benefits

• League of Municipalities president calls on Legislature for pension, benefit reform

• Labor attorneys urge Legislature to abandon plan to increase N.J. employees' contributions to health benefits

• N.J. Senate President Sweeney says costs of benefits are breaking local government budgets

TRENTON — Kevin Martone, deputy commissioner for the state Department of Human Services overseeing mental health services, is leaving his post next month to take a job in Boston, according to an e-mail he sent to colleagues today. Martone leaves as Gov. Chris Christie and Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez have proposed to close one of the state's five...

Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerHagedorn Psychiatric Hospital, located in Lebanon Township, faces possible closure under a plan by Gov. Christie.

TRENTON — Kevin Martone, deputy commissioner for the state Department of Human Services overseeing mental health services, is leaving his post next month to take a job in Boston, according to an e-mail he sent to colleagues today.

Martone leaves as Gov. Chris Christie and Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez have proposed to close one of the state's five public psychiatric facilities — most likely the Sen. Garrett W. Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Glen Gardner. The idea has been met by criticism by the families of patients, employees and state lawmakers, but praise from some advocacy groups that have long criticized New Jersey's reliance on institutions.

Appointed by Gov. Richard Codey six years ago to oversee mental health services, Martone leaves to become director of behavioral health for a national nonprofit organization advising government leaders on social policy issues.

His last day is July 19.

"I have accepted an opportunity as the Director for Behavioral Health at the Technical Assistance Collaborative in Boston, a national non-profit organization that provides technical assistance and other services for federal, state and local governments and providers on human services related issues,'' Martone wrote in an e-mail he sent late this afternoon to community mental health agency operators. "I am looking forward to utilizing what I have learned in New Jersey and expanding it to help shape other systems throughout the country.''

"Keep in mind that each of you plays an important role in delivering vital services to New Jersey residents, and that those services are provided with respect and dignity. The Department’s mission is large, vast and often underestimated, and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to carry out that mission with you,'' according to Martone's email.

Martone, a licensed social worker, was elected last year president of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Before his stint in public service, he was President/CEO for Advance Housing, a non-profit housing provider for people with mental illness northern New Jersey. He lives in Pennington with his wife and two children.

Department spokeswoman Ellen Lovejoy confirmed Martone's planned departure.

Robert Davison, executive director of the Essex County Mental Health Association, said Martone leaves behind a legacy of adding more than 1,000 supervised homes for people with mental illness. "He understood unless someone was housed, really not much else can happen,'' Davison said.

Davison said he disagreed with Martone's plan to close Hagedorn, but he respected his judgment. "Every decision he made was based on what was best for consumers,'' he said.

On Tuesday, Velez announced four new senior appointments, which can be found here: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/news/press/2011/approved/20110607.html">

Related coverage:

• N.J. Assembly budget panel hears plea to keep Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital open

• Sen. Codey criticizes Newark boarding house where Hagedorn patients could be placed

• Lawmakers approve bill to give Legislature power to block closure of N.J. hospitals for disabled patients

• Task force submits inconclusive report on closing Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital

New Jersey's former education commissioner has applied to head the school system in Florida. Bret Schundler said he is one of nine candidates being considered by the Florida state Board of Education and Gov. Rick Scott. Schundler said he would be a perfect fit to run that state's education system and drive the same types of reforms he pushed...

Aaron Houston/The Star-LedgerBret Schundler pictured in this file photo announced that he is under consideration to head the education system in Florida.

New Jersey's former education commissioner has applied to head the school system in Florida.

Bret Schundler said he is one of nine candidates being considered by the Florida state Board of Education and Gov. Rick Scott.

Schundler said he would be a perfect fit to run that state's education system and drive the same types of reforms he pushed for in New Jersey. The Associated Press has reported that Virginia Education Secretary Gerard Robinson is a front-runner for the post.

"This is a wonderful opportunity," Schundler said. "I would be very excited about working there, but I understand they may go in a different direction."

Schundler said he applied for the post after being approached by the executive search firm of Ray and Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"I am someone who understands exactly what they're trying to do, someone who understands the initiatives, and someone who can implement their vision, one that I share with Florida," Schundler said.

Florida's former education commissioner, Eric Smith, resigned under pressure from Scott. Florida's interim education commissioner, John Winn, has not applied for the permanent post.

Since Gov. Chris Christie fired him after the state’s high-profile loss in a federal education reform competition, Schundler has been working on a project to renovate a charter school facility.

Christie accused Schundler of lying about the effort to amend a clerical application error that cost the state $400 million in the competition, known as Race to the Top.

Related coverage:

• Ex-N.J. education head Bret Schundler declines to testify at Assembly hearing on Race to the Top error

• Gov. Chris Christie doesn't tip his hand on reform agenda during MSNBC appearance

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TRENTON — U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg asked the Federal Communications Commission today to examine the deal between the state and WNET that gives the New York broadcaster the right to operate New Jersey public television. Lautenberg (D-N.J) met with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski to voice his concerns about the arrangement and to request the FCC determine if the deal...

Governor's Office/Tim LarsenN.J. Gov. Chris Christie announced on June 6 an agreement for the future of NJN that protects public broadcasting in New Jersey with WNET to provide programming and nightly news without taxpayer subsidy. U.S. Sen. Lauternberg has asked the FCC to examine the deal.

TRENTON — U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg asked the Federal Communications Commission today to examine the deal between the state and WNET that gives the New York broadcaster the right to operate New Jersey public television.

Lautenberg (D-N.J) met with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski to voice his concerns about the arrangement and to request the FCC determine if the deal is "consistent with the public interest and with FCC rules governing broadcast licenses."

The FCC is the federal agency that regulates the radio, television, cable and satellite industries.

In a letter he sent after the meeting, Lautenberg questioned whether the transfer of New Jersey Network to WNET serves "the best interests of New Jerseyans."

"The deal will end the current NJN nightly news program ... and will take other high quality New Jersey-focused news shows off the air," Lautenberg said in his letter to Genachowski. "It is difficult to see how the loss of such programming is in the public interest of new Jerseyans — especially considering the state’s lack of commercial broadcast television news access."

Lautenberg’s meeting came just days after Gov. Chris Christie announced an agreement that allows WNET, in partnership with Caucus Educational Corp., to manage the former NJN operation. Several months in the making, the deal requires the flagship PBS station to provide at least 20 hours of Jersey-centric programing a week, broadcast a nightly news show, to be called "NJ Today," and to cover important Statehouse events and election night.

WNET was selected over four or five other bidders, according to Treasury officials, including Montclair State University and the NJN Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that raised money for the network for two decades.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Trenton today will hold the first public hearing on the deal. The Assembly Budget Committee will hear testimony starting this morning at 10.

Related coverage:

• NJN is turned over to newly created subsidiary of WNET, Gov. Christie announces

• Channel 13 subsidiary will get $4M in fees, grant to operate NJN

• N.J. lawmakers, union officials ask Christie to reconsider NJN management transfer plan

• Fate of employees uncertain as New Jersey Network public television station to be run by PBS flagship

• Officials announce slight delay in NJN management transfer as N.J. begins bidding process

• N.J. broadcasting authority approves $2.1M budget for NJN

• Gov. Christie signs bill allowing NJN to privatize, suspends planned layoffs

• NJN could get funding to stay on air as lawmakers weigh network's fate

• N.J. broadcasting agency approves long-term lease agreements despite uncertain future of NJN

• Gov. Christie to keep NJN on air to give potential suitors a chance to work out deal

• N.J. groups campaign in support of New Jersey Network

Sweeney: plan would save taxpayers, protect pensions Watch video

Frank H. Conlon/The Star-LedgerWhile Senate President Stephen Sweeney, right is prepared to move forward with a plan to overhaul the pension and benefits system for public employees, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, left, is not.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney were poised to announce an agreement on a plan to overhaul health and pension benefits for public employees but were stymied Wednesday after the compromise received a chilly reception in the Assembly.

"We are not there yet," said Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), who found herself wedged between two of the state’s most powerful politicians.

Word of the agreement also drew quick opposition from public labor unions across the state, who said it represented an attack on collective bargaining rights by taking away their ability to negotiate health benefits.

The plan would require the state’s 500,000 public employees to contribute more money for their pensions and health benefits than they currently do, sources said, and freezing cost-of-living adjustments for retirees until the pension funds stabilize.

The overhaul, which lawmakers have agonized over since Christie took office a year and a half ago, would address two of the most costly issues facing the state.

New Jersey has promised $66.7 billion in medical benefits to current and future retirees — the highest price tag among the 50 states — but has not set aside a single penny to pay for it.

At the same time, the state has about 66 percent of the assets needed to meet its future pension obligations, ranking it among the worst-funded in the nation.

Oliver outlined the plan Wednesday to caucus members in a closed-door meeting, where many told her that while changes in the pension plan were needed, they agreed with union leaders that the health benefits should be negotiated and not legislated.

"From the comments that were made, Democrats in the caucus support collective bargaining," Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) said.

Oliver said in a statement after meeting with her caucus that although she agreed the health benefits should be changed, there needed to be "significant" support before she would bring the bill to the floor.

"My caucus must have the chance to have their concerns considered," she said. "The voters who elected them deserve no less."

The governor’s office declined to comment on the proposed changes.

More than a dozen union leaders stood outside the room where the Assembly Democrats had gathered, hoping the members of lower chamber would provide a bulwark against the part of the package that addresses health benefits.

"We feel there is an avenue in the Assembly where we can protect our collective bargaining rights," said Dominick Marino, president of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey.

Facing a similar lack of support, Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has lined up a small group of Democratic senators who have agreed to join with Republicans to make sure there are enough votes to pass the overhaul, which will be wrapped up in one bill.

In a written statement, Sweeney said the plan would save taxpayers $120 billion over an unspecified period of time, while protecting the pensions and health benefits of low- to middle-income workers.

"I look forward to working with the governor and the speaker on ironing out the final issues that remain before us," Sweeney said.

The statement did not include any details about the plan, such as how it would save taxpayers $120 billion.

Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) said the Senate Democratic caucus Wednesday did not reach consensus or take a vote on the plan.

In addition, she said the pension and health benefits should be addressed in two separate bills.

"I draw the line when it comes to statutorily restricting health benefits," she said. "I think that belongs at the bargaining table."

About 40 leaders of public labor unions across the state were briefed on the plan by a Sweeney aide Wednesday morning in Trenton.

"It was soundly rejected," said Marino.

Marino and other union leaders said they would not oppose pension reform as long as it forced the state to stop skipping or making partial pension payments. But they agree that they can not bend on medical benefits, long a staple in their negotiations.

Bob Master, legislative and political director for the Communications Workers of America, the state’s largest public employee union, called the deal an "outrageous attack" on collective bargaining rights.

"Nowhere else in the country have Democrats turned their backs on working people," Master said. "Senator Steve Sweeney and the other so-called Democrats supporting his legislation have joined a senseless right-wing attack on the middle class for the sake of political expediency."

By Jarrett Renshaw and Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger

From 1999 to 2001, Christie was a registered lobbyist at a law firm that lobbied state government on behalf of for-profit education company that employed Cerf

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerActing education commissioner Christopher Cerf, left, and Gov. Chris Christie. Both once received paychecks from Edison Schools, a for-profit company that became the largest private-sector manager of public schools.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie will announce legislation today to create public-private partnerships to run some schools in New Jersey, three people with knowledge of the plan said.

The governor is scheduled to make the announcement at noon at the Lanning Square Elementary School in Camden.

Two of the sources said Christie will be appearing with Camden Mayor Dana Redd, a Democrat who has worked with the Republican governor on education issues.

It's unclear exactly how the public-private partnerships would work, and the sources said it would start as a pilot program. They declined to speak on the record in advance of the public announcement.

One source said individual districts would need to opt into the pilot program and approval from local school boards would be required.

Christie’s acting education commissioner, Christopher Cerf, has experience in public-private school partnerships. He previously led Edison Schools, a for-profit company that became the largest private-sector manager of public schools. Cerf left the company, now called EdisonLearning, in 2005.

Christie is also connected to for-profit education companies, including Cerf’s.

From 1999 to 2001, Christie was a registered lobbyist at a law firm that lobbied New Jersey government on behalf of Edison Schools, according to filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. While the firm was representing the multinational education company, Chris Cerf was its general counsel.

The firm, Dughi, Hewit and Palatucci, also represented Mosaica Education, a for-profit charter school operator, and the University of Phoenix, a for-profit online university. At the time, the firm listed two lobbyists, Christie and William Palatucci, a longtime political ally of the governor who is a named partner in the firm.

During the 2009 gubernatorial campaign, then-campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella said the "overwhelming" majority — "over 90 or 95 percent" — of the firm's lobbying was done by Palatucci, who remains a close friend of Christie.

The governor’s office declined to comment before today's announcement.

Since Christie's campaign for governor two years ago, he has criticized the state of urban education in New Jersey, saying public schools and teacher unions have perpetuated a failing system.

Angel Cordero, who helped create the Community Education Resource Network, an alternative school for dropouts, applauded the plan for public-private schools.

"It’s time we think out of the box and break up the monopoly" of the teachers unions, he said. "This is the perfect storm right now. People are ready."

Christie was in Camden for the Community Education Resource Network's graduation ceremony on Friday, where he and other political leaders called for a shakeup in the public school system.

Steve Baker, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, expressed skepticism about the partnership proposal.

"Anything that turns public schools over to private operation, and reduces public accountability, would be very problematic," he said tonight.

Christie has enraged the NJEA with his push for more charter schools and a voucher program.

The voucher proposal, called the Opportunity Scholarship Act, has stalled in the Legislature despite support from both sides of the aisle as some Democrats have pushed to downsize it.

Star-Ledger staff writer Jessica Calefati contributed to this report.

• More New Jersey Statehouse news

'Not just yes, but hell yes,' Booker said when asked if he would rule out challenging Menendez next year

Steve Hockstein/for The Star-LedgerNewark Mayor Cory Booker today said he would not run against Sen. Robert Menendez for a Senate seat in 2012, but did not rule out a 2014 run.

NEWARK — Mayor Cory Booker kept alive speculation about his ambitions for U.S. Senate this morning in an interview with Good Day New York.

While unequivocally ruling out a primary run against Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Booker declined to rule out a run against Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in three years when his term as mayor ends on June 30, 2014.

"Not just yes, but hell yes," Booker said when asked if he would rule out a Menendez challenge. But when asked if he was ruling out a run against Lautenberg, Booker said only, "You know, that's 2014, I support Senator Lautenberg. I talked to him last night. He is my senator. I've supported him before. I've raised money for him. We've worked hard for him. But that's three years from now. Right now I've got to focus on making Newark safer, safer, safer, jobs and education."

Speculations surrounding Booker's senatorial ambitions were stoked this week when Booker fundraiser Bari Mattes formed "CoryPAC," a federal political action committee ostensibly designed to help national candidates who would be supportive of urban initiatives.

Previous coverage:

• Newark Mayor Cory Booker eyes possible run for U.S. Senate

Watch Booker's interview below:

Booker Shoots Down Senate Run Rumor: MyFoxNY.com

TRENTON — A former high-ranking Department of Corrections official was indicted today on charges of bribery and attempted extortion. The 12-count indictment reveals a widening case against the former official, Lydell Sherrer. Federal authorities charged him with taking bribes from five people, rather than just the two he was originally accused of soliciting for cash. In return for bribes,...

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerDepartment of Corrections Assistant Commissioner Lydell Sherrer in this 2009 file photo. Sherrer has been suspended without pay today, two days after he was arrested on bribery charges.

TRENTON — A former high-ranking Department of Corrections official was indicted today on charges of bribery and attempted extortion.

The 12-count indictment reveals a widening case against the former official, Lydell Sherrer. Federal authorities charged him with taking bribes from five people, rather than just the two he was originally accused of soliciting for cash.

In return for bribes, Sherrer promised jobs, transfers or help with a lawsuit, federal authorities said. They said he sought $52,500 and received $19,000.

Besides six charges of bribery, Sherrer is also facing six charges of attempted extortion.

As assistant commissioner, Sherrer was one of the highest-ranking officials in the Department of Corrections. In that position he oversaw community programs, including contracts with nonprofit organizations and private companies.

Sherrer, 51, of Neptune was a 29-year veteran of the prison system when he was arrested in October and charged with taking bribes from two corrections employees.

The morning of his arrest, federal authorities said, Sherrer had driven his state-issued car to Princeton to collect a $2,000 bribe he had solicited from another corrections employee.

He is currently free on $100,000 bail.

Sherrer's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Previous coverage:

• N.J. Department of Corrections official is suspended without pay after being charged with bribery

• Federal authorities arrest high-ranking N.J. corrections official

CAMDEN — Gov. Chris Christie unveiled legislation this morning that would allow private companies to run five chronically failing New Jersey schools through a public-private partnership pilot program. Only districts with low-performing schools will qualify to participate in the program, and participation will require support from local boards of education. The legislation will allow for-profit companies to manage the...

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie discusses education at a Cherry Hill town hall in this May photo. Today the governor introduced a plan that would allow private companies to run a small number of failing public schools in New Jersey.

CAMDEN — Gov. Chris Christie unveiled legislation this morning that would allow private companies to run five chronically failing New Jersey schools through a public-private partnership pilot program.

Only districts with low-performing schools will qualify to participate in the program, and participation will require support from local boards of education. The legislation will allow for-profit companies to manage the schools.

Christie made the announcement at Camden’s Lanning Square Elementary School alongside Mayor Dana Redd, a Democrat who has worked with the Republican governor on education issues.

"This pilot program will provide an innovative alternative for those children who need it most, bolstering our efforts to ensure opportunity for every child in our state," Christie said. "This program will begin to restore hope in communities where failing schools deny children hope and opportunity."

Christie’s acting education commissioner, Christopher Cerf, has experience in public-private school partnerships. He previously led Edison Schools, a for-profit company that became the largest private-sector manager of public schools. Cerf left the company, now called EdisonLearning, in 2005.

Christie is also connected to for-profit education companies, including Cerf’s.

From 1999 to 2001, Christie was a registered lobbyist at a law firm that lobbied New Jersey government on behalf of Edison Schools, according to filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. While the firm was representing the multinational education company, Chris Cerf was its general counsel.

The firm, Dughi, Hewit and Palatucci, also represented Mosaica Education, a for-profit charter school operator, and the University of Phoenix, a for-profit online university. At the time, the firm listed two lobbyists, Christie and William Palatucci, a longtime political ally of the governor who is a named partner in the firm.

During the 2009 gubernatorial campaign, then-campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella said the "overwhelming" majority — "over 90 or 95 percent" — of the firm's lobbying was done by Palatucci, who remains a close friend of Christie.

Since Christie's campaign for governor two years ago, he has criticized the state of urban education in New Jersey, saying public schools and teacher unions have perpetuated a failing system.

Angel Cordero, who helped create the Community Education Resource Network, an alternative school for dropouts, applauded the plan for public-private schools.

"It’s time we think out of the box and break up the monopoly" of the teachers unions, he said. "This is the perfect storm right now. People are ready."

Christie was in Camden for the Community Education Resource Network's graduation ceremony on Friday, where he and other political leaders called for a shakeup in the public school system.

Steve Baker, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, expressed skepticism about the partnership proposal.

"Anything that turns public schools over to private operation, and reduces public accountability, would be very problematic," he said tonight.

Christie has enraged the NJEA with his push for more charter schools and a voucher program.

The voucher proposal, called the Opportunity Scholarship Act, has stalled in the Legislature despite support from both sides of the aisle as some Democrats have pushed to downsize it.

By Jessica Calefati and Ginger Gibson/The Star-Ledger

Staff writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report.

Sweeney and Gov. Christie reached an agreement on the bill but Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver has yet to sign onto it

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerSenate President Stephen Sweeney, pictured in a file photo, today said he was drafting a bill to change the pension and benefit system for public workers in New Jersey.

TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said today he plans to introduce legislation to increase health and pension benefit payments for public workers and that the Budget and Appropriation Committee will hold a hearing on it next week.

“This is not about being unfair to the unions," Sweeney said. "It’s about being unfair to the taxpayers.”

Sweeney and Gov. Chris Christie have reached an agreement on the measure, but Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) has not signed onto it.

Under the proposal, police and firefighters would pay an additional 1.5 percent of their salaries toward their pensions, and non-uniform public workers would immediately pay an additional 1 percent and eventually reach an additional 2 percent, for a total of 7.5 percent of their salaries.

Workers would also pay more for their health benefits on a sliding scale, with higher income workers paying up to 30 percent of their premiums and the lowest-income workers paying 3 percent.

In recent interviews, several Assembly members called for the measures to be split into separate bills, one dealing with pensions and the other with health benefits.

"Of course they want to do the pension bill, you know, that’s what the unions want," Sweeney said. "They want their pensions fixed, but they don’t want to have to deal with the health care component. You know who needs the health care component. The taxpayers."

Assemblyman Jack McKeon (D-Essex) said he supports splitting the bills because lawmakers have traditionally dealt with pension issues in the past, while unions negotiated health benefits.

"The concept of combining these is foreign," said McKeon.

Asked about Sweeney's comments, McKeon responded, "We don't need two bullies."

A short time later, Oliver issued a written statement:that said she was "committed to getting it done."

She added, however: “My caucus had legitimate questions after seeing the details of this concept for the first time. Working through these concerns is reasonable and appropriate. Reforming the public worker pension and health insurance system at all levels of government to bring relief to taxpayers while respecting worker rights is my priority."

By Jarrett Renshaw and Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau

Previous coverage:

• N.J. Assembly holds up pension, health benefits overhaul brokered by Christie, Sweeney

• N.J.'s largest union criticizes deal to increase employee health, pension costs

• Deal to change N.J. public workers' pensions, benefits is struck by Christie, Sweeney